Ridiculously High-Priced ‘Neo Geo X’ Handheld Announced for Some Reason

Remember the absurdly expensive Neo Geo? It was SNK’s $650 console, released in the early ’90s with equally pricey games like Samurai Shodown and Metal Slug. Now you can relive the experience of paying way too much money for a video game system with the handheld Neo Geo X!

According to Pocket Lint, the new portable will come equipped with a 3.5-inch LCD screen, SD card slot and 20 games already built in — all for the price of £500 (US$786.75).

Let that sink in a bit. In the U.K., where the Neo Geo X is being released, you can buy the new iPad for £399 (US$627.83). Who needs a Retina display when you can play Fatal Fury for £100 more?

Obviously this is more for nostalgic obsessives than any casual fan. I know I desperately wanted a Neo Geo back when I was but a child pumping quarters into an arcade machine with six whole games to choose from.

The Neo Geo X will be distributed by Blaze Europe, who specialize in retro gaming, offering throwback versions of the original Atari and SEGA Genesis. Why you would want to spend nearly $800 on a handheld to play games you can download at the PlayStation Store for $6.99 is between you and your maker.